SUNDAY SCHEDULE

9:00 AM - Sunday School Classes for all ages - click here for more information

10:30 AM - Worship, Sanctuary

THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP
February 2, 2020
 
SCRIPTURE LESSON:
  Matthew 5:1-12

   MESSAGE:
   “Mountaintop Blessings”

The following resources are available on the table in the Gathering Area:

  • This week's e-news and the February calendar, which can also be viewed here
  • January/February Church of the Brethren Newsline Digest
YEAR END STATEMENTS are also available for pick up on a table in the gathering area.
FLOWERS FOR WORSHIP - As always, church members are invited to contribute flowers that will be placed at the front of the sanctuary during worship. Sign up for any available date on the poster in Gathering Area to do so, perhaps in memory of a loved one or in honor of a special person or occasion. Note that the requested fee will be $35 effective February 2020 in order to cover costs and provide a worthy arrangement. Thank you to all who contribute and bless us the beauty of these flowers. - Worship Team
Click for Calendar of Events, Friends to Remember in Prayer, & Sunday School
Upcoming Events
O.W.L.S. News - Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions - We didn’t get to make any decisions last month, so the decisions are still before us – as we consider our continued existence, programs to be presented in 2020, and who will provide leadership and programming support.
Please join us in the Homebuilders classroom 154 at noon on Thursday FEBRUARY 13
to help plan for 2020 & beyond. Some changes to our usual routine are also needed this year as well. Bring your bag lunch and ideas for programs to be considered. 
Drinks will be provided. Your input is needed! Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex by February 9 so we know how many to prepare for.  
Soup Kitchen - Friday Feb. 14, 2020 - Sign up in the Narthex to make a casserole or to work at the Soup Kitchen on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020 (10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) PLEASE add your name and number of casseroles, to the SIGN-UP sheet, so we can let the Soup Kitchen know how many casseroles to expect. 
SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING - Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020 - Plan to remain in the sanctuary following worship on February 23rd for a building improvements design update from our Master Planning Team. We will have a chance to review and approve updated plan drawings from the architect in anticipation of summer construction. The Master Planning Team has been busy lately, and we hope that the whole church will be well-informed and supportive of the projects. Expects some updates at the start of worship between now and then as well!
New Windsor Work Day - Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 - We need volunteers to prepare school kits for shipment (where needed). John Anderson will drive the church vehicle, leaving the church parking lot at 7:15 a.m. Lunch is provided and we will return by 5:00 p.m. Sign the sheet in the Narthex. Hope you can go along. Questions?? Call Helen Stoner (717-624-3398). 
Men’s Spiritual Leadership Summit & Breakfast
The Matthew 18 Mandate
Guest Speaker: Paul Mundey, 2020 CoB AC Moderator
Saturday - February 22, 2020

Location: Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren, 301 Gale St., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
$ 16.00 Registration Fee
Send check payable to SOPA District COB & mail to 6035 York Rd. New Oxford, PA 17350
7:30 am - 8:00 am - Registration
8:10 am - 8:55 am - Welcome & Session I
9:00 am - 9:50 am - Breakfast
10:00 am - 12:00 noon - Session 2
Registration Deadline: Thursday, February 6, 2020 (Posted on Bulletin Board)
Sponsored By: Southern PA District Church of the Brethren
BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE CHOIR CONCERT - March 14, 2020
Mark your calendars now and plan to attend an evening of song. First Church will be hosting the Bridgewater College Choir on Saturday evening March 14, at 7:00 PM as part their tour in the area. ***Volunteers will be needed *** to host students overnight on the 14th following their performance, returning them to the church on Sunday morning March 15th. If you live nearby and have a spare bed to offer, please be prepared to serve in this way. Opportunities to sign up will be forthcoming.
Children's Ministry Schedule
Thank you to all who assist with Children's Ministry. Your time, energy, and dedication are appreciated. If you need to make a schedule change or would like to serve as a teacher or in the nursery, please contact Michele Gibbel (717)318-5442 or mgibbel@yahoo.com     
Nursery Caregivers Needed!
In the recent weeks we have experienced a boom of young ones in the nursery during both Sunday School and Worship. This is so exciting! But to care for these little ones, we need more help. There are between 16-20 volunteer slots to fill each month. How can you help out?  
        Qualifications:  
        * A love for children 
        * A desire to support and encourage parents of young children 
        * An interest in seeing our congregation grow 
         * Background checks are required.  
Please contact Michele Gibbel ( mgibbel@yahoo.com ) to be added to the rotation or with any questions. Thank you. 
J.A.M. Choir News
Children ages 4 to 6th grade J.A.M. (Jesus And Me) Choir is practicing Sundays from 9:50 am to 10:10 am in the basement choir room. For those children in Sunday school you will be escorted to the choir room and return to the Sunday school room to meet your parents after practice each week. J.A.M. Choir is scheduled to sing in worship every 2nd Sunday of the month. We will be singing, moving, using puppets, and playing musical instruments. Join us every Sunday as we make music for our Lord!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY - We have received a request from Madison Avenue Church of the Brethren for a volunteer who may be able to drive a church van to transport school-aged children in York City to and from a Bible study program on Tuesday afternoons that they are hosting. If anyone has interest, please contact pastor Joel and we can further explore potential for serving. Thank you.
ONLINE GIVING ~ If you wish to begin contributing to the church using online giving, please visit our website at: yorkfirst.org and click on the Online Giving link or go directly to the Online Giving website t:  www.acionlinegiving.com/4706 .
For assistance setting up your account, call Donor Support at:  800-348-2886 – Option 2 – Online Giving Questions? Contact Sheryl Leaman if necessary, and thank you for your support!
Thank you from me and my family to the congregation for their support during Larry's illness and death. Many prayed for him, and he was greatly comforted by that and other kindnesses shown. - Pat Gibble 

Thank you so much for all your donations for me and my kids. Also, thank you to those who helped me move to my new apartment on Saturday. We are so happy to finally be in our house. - Heather Gibson
   





2  Lori Beuschlein
2  Christopher Jon Baldwin
4  Christina Snook
6  Becca Miller
8  Sidney Innerst
9  Calla Michelle Stehr
10  Darrell Gipe
14  Patricia Carey
16  Barry Hollinger
17  Joshua Kovacs  

If your birthday is in  FEBRUARY it is not on the below list or is listed incorrectly, please call the church office. 


 18  Doris Plymire
 21  Judy Yingling
 22  Becky McCracken
 23  Pat Trimmer
 23  Justin Drawbaugh
 23  Luca Ferro
 25  Ruth Schmidt
 26  Jayne Baldwin
 26  Sandy Yeager
 27  Owen Statler 

Save the Date!
VBS at York First COB
Sunday, June 21-Thursday, June 25
Plan NOW to be a part of this wonderful week together!
More details in the months to follow
SUGGESTIONS FROM THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN STEERING COMMITTEE

“Catch the Spirit, Build for the Future” has been chosen as the theme for our Capital Fund Campaign. Campaign visits are beginning, and we hope you will prayerfully consider making a pledge to support our church's future.

As we prepare to launch the campaign, we want to share with you two tax saving options that may be available to you as you consider your pledge to the campaign. These options are qualified charitable distributions and donation of appreciated securities.

Qualified Charitable Distribution
If you are age 70½ or older, IRS rules require you to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) each year from your tax-deferred IRA’s. This additional taxable income may push you into a higher tax bracket and may also reduce your eligibility for certain tax credits and deductions. For example, your taxable income helps determine the amount of your Social Security benefits that are subject to taxes. Keeping your taxable income level lower may also help reduce your potential exposure to higher Medicare premiums. To eliminate or reduce the impact of RMD income, you may want to consider making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from an IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. Amounts distributed as a QCD can be counted toward satisfying your RMD for the year and can also be excluded from your taxable income. This is not the case with a regular withdrawal from an IRA, even if you use the money to make a charitable contribution later on. In this scenario, the withdrawal would be counted as taxable income. You must be at least 70½ years old at the time you request a QCD. If you process a distribution prior to reaching age 70½, the distribution will be treated as taxable income.
Funds must be transferred directly from your IRA custodian to the qualified charity. This is accomplished by requesting your IRA custodian issue a check from your IRA payable to the charity. You can then request that the check be mailed to the charity, or forward the check to the charity yourself.

Donation of Appreciated Securities
With the stock market setting all-time record highs, many investors are holding securities in their taxable accounts that have appreciated in value. Appreciated securities are investments that have increased in value from the time they were purchased, and can take the form of publicly traded stock, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closely held stock, or mutual funds. For example, if a stock was purchased for $30 per share and sold for $50 per share, the stock has appreciated by $20 per share. When appreciated stock is sold, the owner generally realizes capital gains equal to the appreciation and may be liable for either short-term or long-term capital gains taxes. With a charitable gift of appreciated securities, the donation you make and the deduction you get are greater than they would be if you were to sell the shares and donate the cash proceeds instead. That is because when you donate shares, you avoid paying the capital gains tax. The church will receive the full market value of the securities donated.
We encourage you to take advantage of these tax saving measures as you finalize your year-end giving.
Elizabethtown College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies Events:

Wed., Feb. 12 and 13th - In celebrating the completion of the Bowers Interpretive Gallery on Wed., February 12, from 4 to 8 p.m. Staff persons will be on hand to point out highlights of the installation, which combines visual exhibits, objects and sound to give an overview of Anabaptist and Pietist groups. An additional reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on February 13, prior to the lecture by Candace Kintzer Perry. For more information, call 717-361-1470 or visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events .
 
Thurs., Feb. 13th - ’She do preach up terror alarmingly’: The Publick Universal Friend, Jemima Wilkinson,” on Thurs., February 13, 7 p.m., in the Bucher Meetinghouse. Jemima Wilkinson, also known as the “Publick Universal Friend,” was a Quaker-born woman from Rhode Island whose fiery preaching amassed a following from New England to Pennsylvania in the late eighteenth century. Candace Kintzer Perry, curator at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, will discuss the Friend’s curious blend of Quakerism and Methodism and her unconventional lifestyle.

For more information, call 717-361-1470 or visit www.etown.edu/youngctr/events .
"Notes from the Console," Article 28, By Mike Frock

"What are all those little numbers?" Part 13-Final Thoughts

I do not claim to be an expert on the Metrical Index, and I will be the first to admit that there were some typos in the previous articles. There are still some points on which I am not 100% clear (e.g. the different uses of periods and spaces in different hymnals), and there are always more details which can be learned (e.g. I skimmed over the poetic aspects of the Metrical Index and did not delve into some of the poetic terminology like quatrains, tetrameters, trimeters, etc.). However, if you read these articles, you now certainly know more than the average person! Part of that problem is that of the 50 or so hymnals that I have looked through, “The Faith We Sing” was the only one that had any sort of description about the Metrical Index, and that was only less than half of a page. It is hard to know how to use a Metrical Index, if the hymnal does not tell you. The Metrical Index was introduced to me in college, but most of what I have presented in these articles has been from my own research.

As a final reminder, I do not think that the Metrical Index should be used a substitute for learning new hymns. However, it can be used as a tool when certain criteria, presented in earlier articles, are met. I’ll wrap up this mini-series on the Metrical Index by telling you about something I found during my internet research which I thought was fascinating, and ties together several of the Metrical Index articles as well as the article about Psalmody. There is a denomination called The Free Church of Scotland which uses exclusive psalmody (only psalms, no hymns). And so, they only use a psalter (but for this purpose, you can think about it like a hymnal). Their psalter is what they call “split-leaf,” which means that it is bound in a similar way to how a Dutch door works. The top half of the book contains all the melody lines. The bottom half of the book contains all the words. Therefore, one can turn to any melody line and simultaneously and independently turn to any set of words, allowing the congregation to mix-and-match tunes and lyrics. Including book, tax, and shipping, one of these awesome books can be yours for the “low” price of about $80! 
LAST SUNDAY IN WORSHIP
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 4:1-11
Message:    “Temptation in the Wilderness:
Déjà vu All Over Again”
Worship Attendance: 99
CONTACTING THE PASTOR
Pastor Joel Gibbel can be reached most mornings in the church office Monday - Thursday from 9:00 AM to noon. Afternoons and evenings are often set aside for visiting those in need, for meetings, and for other pastoral duties. Pastor Joel is also available for Pastoral Counseling by appointment. 
If you need to reach the pastor outside of office hours, his home phone number is
(717)318-5442, and his cell number is (717)271-4888 . You can also email him at pastor@yorkfirst.org. Note that laws prevent hospitals from contacting a pastor without your permission when you are admitted, so you will need to let hospital staff know that you would like the hospital to contact your pastor.
Our Mission Statement:
“People dedicated to Spiritual Growth, Loving Relationship, and Sacrificial Service”
Our Vision Statement:
“To become a community of committed Christians who Love God, Share Christ, and Serve the World”